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Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 7:16 pm
by OlDaz
As part of the rebuild on my 247 I had to split the engine cases to replace some bearings, bushes and seals. In the process I noticed the kick start shaft has about 4mm end float. When I looked inside I found the spigot on the inside end of the shaft only goes about halfway into the inner bush and there's a 4mm thick spacer washer on the spigot which prevents the shaft going all the way into the bush. Secondly the starter gear is only partially meshing and looks like it needs to go at least 3mm deeper into mesh. At the other end of the shaft there's a circlip to hold the ratchet mechanism, but no thrust washer between the circlip and the bush. All this suggests to me there should be a spacer washer on each end - about 1.5mm thick on the spigot end and about 3mm thick on the lever end. This would eliminate the end float, set the spigot deeper into the inner bush, line up the gears and prevent the circlip bearing against the lever end bush.

When I look at the parts manual it shows 2165.115 as the spigot end spacer and 0265.118 as the lever end spacer. Mine doesn't have the lever end spacer washer and the spigot end spacer is 4mm thick.

Does anyone know what thickness the spacers are supposed to be? TIA

Re: Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 10:31 pm
by OlDaz
Finally got it figured out, the parts diagram shows a spacer at each end and as stated the lever end spacer on mine was missing. As it turns out the spacer was assembled between the circlip and the spring, so the circlip was bearing directly on the bush. Best engineering practice suggests there should always be a washer beside a circlip and if assembled with the washer as shown in the parts sketch it would have reduced the end float and prevented some of the wear on the bush.
I made new bushes for both ends of the kick start shaft and used a 1mm thick spacer between the circlip and the outer bush, another 1.5mm spacer between the circlip and the ratchet spring, with the original 4mm spacer on the other end. Once I figured out exactly how the ratchet works, I set the ratchet timing correctly and it works really well. The kick start lever has to go on exactly the right spline to take full advantage of the ratchet and help prevent case damage from over travel.
Been a steep learning curve, but after so many times putting the case and shaft on and off I finally got it all working properly.
If anyone wants to know more about the way the kick start system works on these, please let me know.
I'm now into reassembling the motor/gearbox unit and this thread could be closed.

Re: Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 10:43 pm
by Rod
Hello Oldaz, good to hear your UKR is coming together. Do you think that was from the factory ?

Re: Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 4:31 pm
by OlDaz
I doubt it Rod, the engine appears to have been apart before I got it - actually I'm a bit surprised that was one of the few things I found wrong given the condition of the rest of the bike.
Completed the case repair where it was damaged from kick start over-travel, cleaned up the side of case damage from a chain-off situation, modified the oil drain, fitted the new seals and bearings and just finished assembling the two halves. It went back together fairly easily, so happy about that.
Some "interesting" things in these engines, makes me wonder about the engineering changes as the models progressed through the years.

Re: Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 11:58 am
by OlDaz
Now trying to fit the new kickstart lever return spring. The hook on the spring locates in a notch at the bottom of the lever (as fitted) and the other end of the spring locates in a hole in the casing. Problem is the spring has to be "wound up" about 180 degrees to get the lever in the right position, then if this is possible, when I kick it over the spring will load up another 180 degrees which seem way excessive. I believe the spring will fail quickly if I can even assemble it like this.
Does anyone know the correct assembly process?
Seems to me the spring isn't correct, but it looks like the drawing in the parts manual and is the one sold by Inmotion in England for this model.
Any help with this will be appreciated.

Re: Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 12:07 pm
by David Lahey
I'm sure I don't wind mine up anything like 180 degrees before sliding it onto the spline, more like about 30 degrees.
OK I've had a look and will post some photos

Re: Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 12:22 pm
by David Lahey
Cota 348 and In Motion spring

Re: Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 5:55 pm
by OlDaz
Thanks for posting those pictures, I've sent an email to Pete at Inmotion - the hook on my new spring is in line with the pin, so at least 90 degrees "tighter" than yours, although it does look like the one in the parts diagram. Guess I'll wait to hear back from Pete in case I'm missing something - otherwise I'll have to modify it. Most kickstart springs that work like this (that I've seen) seem to have more coils with a slight spacing between them, this is quite different and gives the impression it's already wound up almost as far as it will go.

Re: Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:52 pm
by OlDaz
Got some pictures back from Pete at Inmotion and they showed the hook on the kickstart spring was a slightly different shape to what I had. Modified the spring and it's now together and working, only got the tank to go and I'll be able to fire it up.
DSC_0167a.jpg
DSC_0167a.jpg (819.91 KiB) Viewed 8219 times

Re: Montesa Cota 247 kick start

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:58 pm
by rudge250
Nice Bike. With the original Air Filter Box, is the Carb. the original Amal? Or a Mikuni conversion. If so did you have to have an adaptor made up ??
Thanks Sean in Sydney.